"Y-34051? C…you….me?" A distorted voice said.
A blurred face came to view after a few blinks the face wasn't as distorted as it was before. A man with jet black hair and golden hazel eyes stood over them. They blinked a few more times before attempting to look around before they heard the distorted voice talk again.
"C…you…me? Resp…lease." The voice said.
They looked over to the man blinking before shaking their head. The man laid their head back before they felt a sharp pain in the back of their head.
"Can you hear me now?" The man said.
They nod.
"Good, we haven't installed your voice yet," the man said to them before looking at them with a small smile. "You're a miracle you know that?"
They tilted their head at the man as he continued to talk. "you're first of your kind, you're going to help a lot of people Y-34051."
Sudden tapping was heard in the room, they looked around with their eyes but the man said, "I need to give you a sedative for now, but I'll be here when you wake up."
They blinked a little frighten before the man shushed them softly and they fell back into darkness.
On the other hand, Takano Masamune walks into the other room to find Isaka and his assistant Asahina staring at his team's hard work. "So, what do you think?"
"This is amazing," Isaka commented turning towards Takano "When will it be fully operational?"
"In a day, two the latest," Takano said looking over at his creation before feeling a slight twinge in his heart.
It must have shown on his face because Asahina said "We're very sorry to hear about Doctor Yokozawa Takafumi. I'm sure he'd be proud of the work you were able to accomplish."
Takano didn't respond at first before saying quietly. "It's his brain."
Isaka then looked at Takano his eyes violet dilating and re-adjusting. "Excuse me?"
Takano inhaled before repeating himself. "The brain inside that body is Doctor Takafumi's."
"I didn't authorize you to use a live human brain," Isaka said.
"The dead brains were rejected by the body," Takano said "And they were too damaged before Yokozawa died he requested I used his brain to help achieve this goal. I have his written and verbal consent if you need it for legal purposes."
Isaka and Asahina looked at each other. "Send the consent forms to my office."
"Understood," Takano said looking at the body on the table "What are your plans for it?"
"I want it to learn to be human," Isaka replied.
Takano raised an eyebrow. "That uncharacteristic of you. I'm a bit suspicion."
"I'm trying to switch the company over to more humanitarian production, not weapons like my father," Isaka said, "I've been trying since day one."
"Is that why my section got extra funding?" Takano asked.
"Hai, I trust you'll make progress with all the extra money I'm throwing your way," Isaka said.
"We will," Takano replied as Isaka and Asahina took their leave.
Takano looked through the glass again at the body on the table. "Don't worry Takafumi, I won't let our hard work go to waste."
A year later…
Takano dialed the same number on his cell phone for the eighth time today starting to get a little worried, the phone went straight to voicemail again.
"Hey it's me again, you're very late for your check up," Takano said, "I'll have to report this to Isaka, please attempt to show up today."
After Takano hung up Hatori walked into the room. "Takano, he's here."
Takano mentally sighed in relief before nodding to Hatori to send him in. Takano careful laid out some probing instruments before he heard footsteps behind him. "Your late Yokozawa."
He then turns around to give Yokozawa a stern look but stop seeing him. He looked exactly like his old friend down to the bone structure, the only difference was the mind inside the body. Ever since Yokozawa was made he had childlike wondered about the world around him and had no problem asking questions. The only thing that reminded Takano of his old friend was the banter they sometimes exchanged.
"I'm sorry I'm late," Yokozawa said.
He even sounds like him, Takano thought to himself. "Why weren't you answering your phone?"
"I left at home today," Yokozawa said tilting his head.
"You know the rules Yokozawa," Takano said, "Keep your phone on you at all times."
Yokozawa didn't respond, so Takano snapped his fingers and point to the examination table. "Come on you know the drill."
Yokozawa walked forward before slowly stripping himself down to a tank top and boxers, he then sat on the examination table waiting patiently for instructions. Takano looked at his tablet before asking basic questions.
"How many hours of sleep have you gotten in the past week?" Takano asked.
"Twenty," Yokozawa responded.
Takano's brows furrowed in confusion. "That's even fewer hours than last time, you suppose to get 40-60 hours of sleep through the week."
"I've been staying up later," Yokozawa answered.
"For what purpose?" Takano asked looking back at Yokozawa.
"I've been exploring Tokyo's nightlife," Yokozawa said, "I've always been curious."
Takano sighed making note of that. "How many times have you eaten?"
"Five," Yokozawa replied.
Takano sighed getting frustrated. "Yokozawa, I'm aware that you don't need food for extended periods of time but at least try to eat three meals a day at the designated times."
Yokozawa started to smile and give a cheeky respond that Takano was ready for. "And no eating cake for breakfast lunch and dinner isn't food."
Yokozawa then frowned staying silent, Takano rolled his eyes before asking "How much human interaction have you had this week?"
Yokozawa blinked his eyes readjust slightly trying to recall an exact number. "I've had three instances of human interaction, four if I include you."
Takano sighed again, even though Yokozawa was built for human interaction, he acted more like an anti-social teenager. "Yokozawa…"
"I don't like interacting with people I don't know," Yokozawa stated adamantly.
Ok, he may have some social anxiety as well, Takano thought to himself. He needed to find a way to get around that, but he knew Yokozawa would object to being reprogrammed. So he just went onto the next question.
"Have you had an encounter of a sexual nature?" Takano reads before he clamped his mouth shut. He usually skipped this questions and others like it because nor he or his team ever bother to explain sex to Yokozawa, well there was the one time Kisa but Takano stepped in before he psychological damage him.
"What does that mean?" Yokozawa asked as he tilted to the side slightly his eyes dilating in curiosity.
"Never mind, I explain later," Takano said waving him off, he almost hurt by seeing the hurt look on Yokozawa's face but he really didn't want to have a conversation about the birds and bees with an adult android. "Lie back for the physical examination."
Yokozawa complied with the order and lied back on the table. Takano elevated it slightly before plugging a jack into the back of Yokozawa's head to get a diagnostic on what was going on inside his mind. Yokozawa eyelids flutter slightly as the jack was plugged in, Takano then brought some instruments closer to him before he careful placed a hand on Yokozawa left leg.
"Ok, bend your leg please," Takano said.
Yokozawa did so and Takano took note of the reflex before setting Yokozawa leg back to its original position. "Same for the other one."
Yokozawa again compiled, Takano found nothing out of the ordinary before double checking the joints and setting the leg back down. Takano then set an apple in Yokozawa's left hand.
"Flex and move your left arm please," Takano said.
Yokozawa grasped the apple before moving his arm towards him and away from him. Takano satisfied with the result marked it down, before taking the apple out of Yokozawa left hand and placing it on the right.
"Flex and move your right arm please," Takano repeated.
"It hurts to do so," Yokozawa replied.
"That's what you get for not taking care of yourself," Takano mumbled but Yokozawa heard him.
Yokozawa looked over to Takano blinking his eyes for a moment. "You're irritated, is it because of me?"
Takano sighed. "How did you hurt your arm?"
"It got caught in between two rocks," Yokozawa replied as he felt Takano detach his arm and open the inside.
Takano looked down in confusion. "Yokozawa, what were you doing?"
"Scuba diving," Yokozawa replied.
Takano looked up even more confused. "Why?"
"I like it," Yokozawa responded simply.
"Well, you tore some of the inner muscles that's mostly like why you were in pain," Takano said grabbing a tool and a small blow torch. Yokozawa watched as he repaired the muscles before reattaching the arm.
"How does that feel," Takano asked hearing the arm click back into place.
"Better," Yokozawa responded making an open and close fist.
"Good, I'm just going to check your brain activity then your good to go," Takano said picking up his tablet. Takano was checking Yokozawa's memory data when he saw something in the coding that didn't look right.
"Yokozawa, there are a few glitches in your system," Takano said looking over the data.
"I was downloading information, I ran into a bad virus that I managed to escape," Yokozawa said.
"It left a few glitches in your system," Takano said fixing what he could "I'll fix what I can but I'm going to need you to take some medication to get rid of the rest of coding."
Yokozawa just nodded slightly as Takano got out a small box of capsule tubes with a yellow-ish orange liquid inside it. "Take these twice a day for the next week."
"Do I have to drink them?" Yokozawa asked grimacing.
"No, you shake them up and put them in the back of your head," Takano said before doing it for Yokozawa after he unplugged the jack.
Yokozawa blinked rapidly at the sensation before relaxing. "Are we done?"
"Yes," Takano replied, "And please try to come on time next week."
"I will," Yokozawa said putting his clothes back on before grabbing the medicine and leaving.
When Yokozawa left, Takano picked up his tablet before opening a recently download file of his memories. Takano had been downloading Yokozawa's memories to see if he had been properly assimilating with the society around him. This week however Yokozawa had over 90 hours of memory footage. Takano sighed to himself, it was going to a long week processing all those memories.
"See you next week Yokozawa-san," Kisa said to Yokozawa giving him a friendly smile.
Yokozawa smiled back before walking out the building and in the direction of his apartment. He was thinking about what he should eat tonight since he didn't plan on sleeping. Lately, he didn't like sleeping and if he did it was almost restless. So Yokozawa need new activities to occupy his time, he was fully aware he was just an experiment but he had his own thoughts and mindset when it came to things.
"Yokozawa!" A voice shouted from behind him.
Yokozawa turned his head to see Henmi a human with cybernetic enhancements whom he had frequent conversations with.
Yokozawa gave a half smile to him. "Good afternoon Henmi, how are you today?"
Henmi practically beamed at Yokozawa. "I finally got my cybernetic eyes, see?"
Yokozawa looked at Henmi's eyes, his cybernetics looked like normal eyeballs but they would adjust and re-adjust frequently for unobstructed vision.
"Good for you," Yokozawa replied, he could tell Henmi was excited about his new eyes.
"I also got a new liver," Henmi said lifting his shirt a little to show the surgery scar "So now, I'm not so much of a lightweight now."
"Light…weight?" Yokozawa asked confused "I'm not familiar with that term."
"Oh, right sorry," Henmi said pulling down his shirt "Lightweight refers to a person who can't hold their liquor."
"And Liquor refers to distilled alcohol humans can drink correct," Yokozawa asked Henmi for clarification.
"That's right," Henmi said giving Yokozawa an affectionate pat on the arm "See your learning, you'll be human in no time."
"Thanks, Henmi," Yokozawa replied.
"Let's go for drinks, it on me," Henmi said.
"Not this time Henmi," Yokozawa responded "Will you take a raincheck? Is that the correct term?"
"Correct term, the wrong way to say it," Henmi told him "But I'll hold you to next, later!"
"Goodbye," Yokozawa said giving him a small wave as he continued to his apartment building.
Yokozawa started going over the list of things he had to do but Henmi's sentence was constant replaying in his head. 'You'll be human in no time.' Yokozawa was acutely aware he wasn't completely human just his brain, everything else was synthetic. He tried to act as human as possible but he still had a challenging time interacting with total strangers, it was a statically anomaly that Henmi was acquainted with him but it was nice none the less. Yokozawa walked upstairs to the apartment where he was greeted by his cat Sorata.
"Hey there, let's get you feed," Yokozawa said quietly petting the small animal.
He then proceeded to make his cat a gourmet tuna dinner, Yokozawa knew it was a bit over the top but since he didn't really need to eat, he wanted to make sure his pet well-nourished in case he accidently forgot one day. Yokozawa then set the bowl contain fresh tuna, salmon with a hint of lemon down in front of the cat before heading to his bedroom. Yokozawa stripped down to his boxers before getting the medicine out of his pocket shaking it up and inserting it into the two holes in the back of his head near his neck. His eyelid fluttered involuntary at the unpleasant feeling before he changed his clothes into scuba diving gear.
"Sorata, I'm going out," Yokozawa said to his cat as he left once again to go to the nearby river.
Yokozawa carefully strapped the oxygen tank to his back and put his mask on before diving under the water. Yokozawa blinked his eyes open seeing the peaceful ocean floor, he then swam around slowly feeling himself relax. The ocean floor was always peaceful and calm, Yokozawa stopped swimming and let himself float slowing breaking the surface off the water. He stared up at the night sky, his eyes readjusting slightly. This was calming, and kept his mind clear after interactions with others. He started thinking about Henmi's words again, you'll be human in no time…so did that mean he was almost human? All of this thinking was causing his head to hurt. Yokozawa then swam to shore before walking home still dripping wet. He walked through his front door before walking directly to his bedroom to change, he toweled himself off making sure there was no water left on his skin before he opens his closet door. After staring blanking at his clothing for a few minutes he decided on a black tank top and gray sweatpants, he slowly puts them on before he lies on his bed staring out the window.
"Almost human…" Yokozawa says to himself before closing his eyes "I'm almost human…"
He didn't like the way these people were staring at him, it made him self-conscious and he hated it. He didn't like being treated like an object, granted he was technically property but they could at least exercise caution around him. We're they even aware of how he feels or what he's thinking?
"Y-34051?" A man with sandy brown hair that is normally referred to as Hatori started speaking to him "Y-34051, we're trying to run a few diagnostics tests, we need you to cooperate."
Y-34051…that his name, but he hated it. It sounded so disconnected, so cold…no emotion behind it. Was he even capable of emotions? He knew from Takano that his brain was completely human, so he can learn and be taught certain behaviors, but he wasn't sure.
"Y-34051? Why are you not responding?" Hatori asked before he prodded his arm with something sharp causing him to react harshly, He smacked Hatori's hand away from him much to the scientist's surprise.
"That hurt!" He exclaimed glaring at Hatori. "Why did you do that?"
"You weren't responding verbally to me," Hatori said, "So I tested to see if you would respond to other stimuli."
He continued to glare at him. "I could hear you perfectly, but I didn't want to respond."
This seems to shock Hatori as well as some of the other people in the room who were monitoring him. He's never felt more objectified in his existence so he speaks up about.
"Quit staring at me like that," He says, "I hate it when you do that."
Sudden the door opened and footsteps could be heard making their way across the floor. He turns his head slightly to see Takano with his hands in his lab coat pockets quietly watching them.
"Could you give us a moment, you can continue the tests later Hatori," Takano said.
Hatori bowed before signaling for the others to follow him, leaving them alone in the room. He heard Takano walk in front of him and pull up a chair. They stay silent for a few moments before Takano asks. "Will you tell me how your feeling?"
He blinks, his eyes readjust out of nervousness. "Uncomfortable."
"Physically, Mentally, or Emotionally," Takano asked calmly.
"All of the above," He replied, "I feel like an object…property…you acknowledge that I'm capable of independent thought yet you do not exercise caution around me."
"I'm sorry," Takano said sounding sincere "What would you like?"
He wanted them to stop staring at him as well as the poking and prodding but he knew they need the information. So instead he said, "I want a name."
"Excuse me?" Takano asked confused.
"Everyone I interact with is cold and distance," He said, "I hate being called by my serial number, I want a name that refers to me as a being, not an object."
Takano nods. "Did you have anything in mind?"
He blinked before looking up at Takano. "Yokozawa. I want to be named Yokozawa."
Takano looks shocked. "May I ask why?"
"Because, it's the name of the person who gave me my brain," He says.